Don't criminalize humiliation [Letter]

Jon Cardin's proposal regarding revenge porn is a monumentally bad idea ("Make cyber-sexual assault a felony," Nov. 20). Instead of addressing the root problem, Delegate Cardin's proposal would reinforce the idea that sex is bad. On top of that, this proposal would criminalize a person's intent to shame or humiliate another person. I'd venture that's protected speech under the First Amendment. It also allows a person to shame or humiliate another by other means without consequence.

A better proposal would be to forbid employers from firing or otherwise penalizing employees who appear naked or in consensual sexual activities unless the employer can show that such activity is detrimental to the performance of the job. As it stands, employers are being allowed to fire employees for engaging in sex when it is visually documented, a very odd thing to allow when we not only know that most of us are having sex but encourage it with tax breaks for children and other governmental benefits.